other tools – Law Office Manager

TOOL

Model waiver of COVID-19 infection liability sign to post at your law office

October 21, 2020 by Jared Edis

As long as COVID-19 remains a threat, you run the risk of being sued by clients, vendors, guests and other visitors (“visitors”) who claim they contracted the virus at your office facility as a result of your inadequate safety measures. One way to limit liability is by conspicuously posting a sign at the entry of your facility indicating visitors’ agreement to waive their rights to sue you for COVID-19 infections by entering the office. Although there’s no guarantee that a court would enforce such a waiver, the Model Sign below uses fairly conservative language that has been found to be enforceable in other situations. Caveat: The inclusion of the phrase purporting to insulate you against your own negligence in Sections 3 and 4 is fairly risky and you may want… . . . read more

TAGGED WITH: Compliance, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Risk management, Workplace Safety

TOOL

Telecommuter home office hazard assessment & inspection checklist

September 8, 2020 by Jared Edis

While not an OSHA obligation, it’s highly advisable to take measures to protect the health and safety of telecommuting office employees who work from home. How? By having employees seeking approval to telecommute designate a room or area as their home workspace and arranging for somebody to perform a hazard assessment inspection to verify that the workspace is safe, healthy and appropriate for the proposed use. Option 1: Have an office supervisor or manager visit the site and do a physical walk-through inspection; Option 2: Have the employee videotape the space and/or submit detailed photos and a floor plan and do the inspection virtually; Option 3: Have the employee inspect the space himself/herself. Whoever does the assessment should use the Checklist below.

TAGGED WITH: Compliance, COVID-19, Managing staff, telecommute, telework, Workplace Safety

Tool: Model COVID-19 Contact Log Sheet

July 6, 2020 by Jared Edis

Maintaining social distancing will be the price that law offices and other businesses will have to pay to reopen and remain open until the COVID-19 threat goes away. But for social distancing to work, there must be a way to track and analyze actual encounters between people at your office. One simple way to gather the essential data is to have employees and visitors complete a contact log sheet. Here’s a model your office can adapt for its own use.

TAGGED WITH: Compliance, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Managing staff, Workplace Safety

Tool: Model COVID-19 Exposure Control Plan

June 19, 2020 by Jared Edis

Regulators have made it clear that workplaces must implement written plans to control COVID-19 exposure risks at the site. Here’s a Model Plan template your office can adapt that provides for the necessary protections.

TAGGED WITH: Coronavirus, COVID-19

Tool: Model COVID-19 Medical Screening Policy

May 4, 2020 by Jared Edis

Regulators have made it clear that given the unique circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers may implement pre-screening measures to ensure that people who have or may have the virus don’t get into work and spread it to others. But limits still apply and you can get into a lot of trouble if you don’t follow them. Here’s a Model Policy your firm can adapt that provides for the necessary privacy, health and safety, non-discrimination and other protections.

TAGGED WITH: Coronavirus, COVID-19, Managing staff, Managing the office, Workplace Safety

BILLING & COLLECTIONS

Notice to Client of Increase in Hourly Rate

March 15, 2019 by Barb Manning Grimm

Why you need this Model Notice to Client:

Clients should be notified in writing of any fee increases 30 days in advance. This
protects both the firm and the client. Informing your client of what to expect and
when to expect it will help your client prepare for the extra expense.

. . . download here

TAGGED WITH: Increasing profits, notice to client, raising fees

Model Billing Statement

March 15, 2019 by Barb Manning Grimm

Why you need this Model Billing Statement:

Many clients don’t like to pay their legal bills and without having measures in place to ensure payments, law firms can run into huge headaches. One best practice is to ensure that your billing statement clearly outlines what services your clients are receiving for their money.

. . . download here

TAGGED WITH: billing statement

BILLING & COLLECTIONS

Model Retainer Agreement

March 15, 2019 by Barb Manning Grimm

Why you need this Model Retainer Agreement:

Many clients don’t like to pay their legal bills and without having measures in place to ensure payments, law firms can run into huge headaches. One best practice is to lay out your billing arrangements and hourly fees charged by partners, associates, and paralegals in your retainer agreement.

. . . download here

TAGGED WITH: retainer

BUDGET

Sample Budget Spreadsheet

February 22, 2019 by Barb Manning Grimm

Why you need this budget spreadsheet:

While many attorneys cringe at the thought of creating a budget, there are several important reasons why your law firm needs one, including helping you prepare for unexpected expenses.

. . . download here

TAGGED WITH: creating a budget, expenses, financial planning, income, loss, money management, profit

MANAGING STAFF

Information Security Checklist for Small Businesses

April 21, 2017 by Barb Manning Grimm

Why you need this checklist:

This checklist, created by Sensei Enterprises, Inc., will help you identify what your cybersecurity program must address.

. . . download here

TAGGED WITH: Checklist, Managing staff, Managing the office, Privacy and information security, Risk management, Technology

Model waiver of COVID-19 infection liability sign to post at your law office

Telecommuter home office hazard assessment & inspection checklist

Tool: Model COVID-19 Contact Log Sheet

Tool: Model COVID-19 Exposure Control Plan

Tool: Model COVID-19 Medical Screening Policy

Notice to Client of Increase in Hourly Rate

Model Billing Statement

Model Retainer Agreement

Sample Budget Spreadsheet

Information Security Checklist for Small Businesses

recent articles

Using waivers to avoid getting sued for COVID-19 infections

Office’s duty to protect returning employees from COVID-19 discrimination and harassment

What, if anything, does OSHA require you to do to protect telecommuters?

Can racial discrimination be proven with circumstantial evidence alone?

Class of 2019 is the most employed since the Great Recession

How to create and implement a mandatory face mask policy at your law office

Employment offers pulled and start dates for law grads uncertain

Use contact logging to ensure law office employees practice social distancing

Study identifies generational similarities, differences in the workplace

Survey shows COVID-19 impact on summer programs, recruiting, and OCI

Feds say insurers not required to pay for employer return to work COVID-19 testing

How to create a COVID-19 exposure control plan

tools you can use

useful links